Fittings with CRNs FAQ

Fittings with CRNs FAQ

FAQ

Why does this list exist? It is hard to find CRN registered components. If you are designing a new product for the Canadian market, or converting a standard product into something that can be used in Canada, finding fittings with CRNs is one of your hardest tasks. Once found, getting the required information from the manufacturer can be even harder – more below.

I am a designer, what do I need to know to use a CRN product? Unfortunately this list only gives you the name of a manufacturer and a link to their website. At the time it was entered on the list it had a CRN. Obviously you need to know the products model number and pressure temperature rating (P&T) or class. Watch out, the required P&T rating is the one registered which can be different from the manufacturers catalog rating, and can vary by province. Additionally you will require the material grade that the product is made from (not general info like stainless or 304 stainless, but very specific information like SA-479 304 stainless). Review the expiry date so that it will not expire during registration or construction, and check what standard it was registered under.

I am a manufacturer, what do my customers need to know to use my product? Having a current CRN number is just the start; see above for the list of customer requirements. Usually the combination of the letter of registration and the statutory declaration provides this information. For complex catalog product line registrations, additional charts with Pressure Temperature ratings are required. Your customers can not get this information from the jurisdictions, and if you are not able to provide it, they cannot use your product.

Is there any place to get registration information? Yes, most manufacturers listed on this page have their products registered in Atlantic Canada so they have a listing with ACI Canada (www.ACICRN.com). All listings provide expiry dates and code of registration, some provide registered P&T ratings, some provide material information. Unfortunately, in its current design it is impossible to search the ACI CRN listings to find product categories. It is also impossible for us to link directly to the ACI listings, but once you find a manufacturer on the list on this site, it is easy to search for more information through the ACI CRN site.

Example: if you are looking for B16.9 butt weld fittings, a number of manufacturers are listed under category A on the listings on this page. Picking one at random, Flowline is listed as having a CRN. On www.ACICRN.com (left side navigation bar, “Search CRN Registration Database”), more information about the company’s registered products can be found: the expiry date, the code of construction and what materials are registered. Pressure rating is listed “same as straight pipe” so no special calculations or ratings apply, just use as required by the vessel or piping code you are using to design your product that adopts the B16.9 standard. If your product will end up in one of the ACI member provinces, all the required information has been found. If it is for some other province, the manufacturer needs to be contacted to make sure that the product is registered, the expiry date, and that the standard P&T ratings and listed materials still apply. This is usually worthwhile because most fittings registered with ACI are also registered in other Canadian provinces.

Unfortunately non ACI member provinces do not release this vitally important information. The jurisdictions have this information, and need to make it available, but have not done so yet. For now we make do.

Update Nov 2016: ABSA has released a preliminary database of products registered in Alberta. More info here. Unfortunately this preliminary tool can only be used to verify that a CRN number is valid in Alberta. It cannot be used to search for products or manufacturers. But it can be used to check that products registered by ACI can also be used in Alberta, which is also a hint that they might be available Canada wide.

How important is the registration expiry date? Very important! Two dates apply: 1) the registration date. Without a current CRN, registration of a vessel or piping system is not possible. It is your job to know the expiry date, not the reviewers, but some reviewers check. 2) For piping systems, when complete, the shop will sign off on the certificate of compliance portion of the piping registration form. Typical wording (from Ontario form PV 09052 05/09)

“All valves and fittings have been duly registered, are of correct schedule and/or ANSI service rating and compatible with the required service condition.”

An expired fitting is not duly registered. If the expiry date is close to the expected product ship date, contact the manufacturer to make sure they are renewing the CRN.

After fabrication is finished and signed off, the registration can expire. It is the duty of the owner to keep the system in fit operating order, including replacing registered components with identical parts, expired or not. In other words, in the field, you must replace a fitting with an identical fitting, even if the CRN has expired. If the fittings need to be changed, then the system design registration needs to be updated including information on the new parts which need current CRNs.

My product is not listed here, why not? Because you didn’t ask. It’s free, see the contact information to the right.

I am a manufacturer, why should I list my products here? Did we mention it is free? Seriously, even in its preliminary form, about 800 viewers a month look at this page (Aug 2016, continuously increasing). They are trying to find CRN listed fittings. To be truly useful, we need more manufacturers on this list, and the manufacturers need to post more information required by users.

We are Canada’s largest independent registrar of fittings, vessels and piping under the CRN program registering for more than a thousand customers. We are experts in the specialized field of pressure equipment design and registration.

Integrated design, review and registration services

Extensive knowledge of registration requirements, including what needs registering and what is exempt province by province

We work to many ASME codes – VIII-1, VIII-2, I, IV, B31.1, B31.3, B31.5 and others

Design validation by burst test to many codes

Other Services

ASME Code Design – We work to many ASME standards to design and validate pressure vessels, boiler, fittings and piping systems.

Finite Element Analysis (FEA) – We use FEA to design and validate fittings and vessels that cannot be designed by rule-based codes like VIII-1 or B31.3.

Pipe Stress Analysis – Pipe stress analysis is mandatory for British Columbia registration and it is recommended practice for many other systems.

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Related Reading

An in depth guide to identifying vessel, piping and fitting CRN numbers. How to tell which province first registered the product, and where else it is also registered, and, how to combine registration numbers from multiple provinces into one number that fits on your nameplate.